Role report · Data & AI
Machine Learning Engineer: what employers ask for
Of 1,121 Machine Learning Engineer postings from 341 employers in the United States and Canada over the last 180 days, 100% ask for Machine Learning, 73% for Python, 55% for LLMs, 55% for MLOps and 48% for PyTorch.
From 1,121 Machine Learning Engineer postings in the United States and Canada, April 23, 2026 to October 20, 2026. Updated October 20, 2026. How we count
- Postings read
- 1,121from 341 employers
- Remote
- 27%of postings
- Most common level
- Senior31% of postings
- Experience asked
- 4 yearsmedian, from 852 postings that state it
- Advertised pay
- $211,000median a year, from 675 postings in US dollars
The skills employers ask for most
The share of Machine Learning Engineer postings that name each skill, and how often a posting that names it lists it as required rather than nice to have.
| Skill | Share of postings | Required when named |
|---|---|---|
| Machine Learning | 98% | |
| Python | 96% | |
| LLMs | 78% | |
| MLOps | 83% | |
| PyTorch | 84% | |
| Deep Learning | 87% | |
| AI Agents | 77% | |
| AWS | 67% | |
| TensorFlow | 81% | |
| A/B Testing | 89% | |
| Generative AI | 82% | |
| Statistics | 86% | |
| ETL/ELT | 92% | |
| Distributed Systems | 88% | |
| CI/CD | 82% | |
| Observability | 88% | |
| LLM Evaluation | 86% | |
| Feature Engineering | 88% | |
| Kubernetes | 66% | |
| SQL | 88% |
Taking a larger share
Month on month, comparing like with like; only moves clear of noise are named.
Seniority
| Level | Share | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Senior | 353 | |
| Mid | 346 | |
| Staff | 188 | |
| Principal | 87 | |
| Manager | 51 | |
| Lead | 46 | |
| Director+ | 29 |
Professional skills
Asked for alongside the technical ones.
- Stakeholder Management45%
- Communication43%
- Leadership36%
- Collaboration17%
- Technical Leadership13%
Advertised pay
675 of these postings state pay in US dollars. The middle half of their ranges' midpoints runs from $173,000 to $254,000 a year, with a median of $211,000. Pay by level, and what each skill adds to it like for like, is in the app.
Employers with the most postings
- UnitedHealth Group37 postings
- Waymo32 postings
- DoorDash USA25 postings
- ServiceNow22 postings
- Booz Allen Hamilton21 postings
- Reddit20 postings
- Adobe20 postings
- NVIDIA17 postings
Quick answers
What skills does a Machine Learning Engineer need?
The skills named most often in Machine Learning Engineer postings are Machine Learning, Python, LLMs, MLOps and PyTorch. Machine Learning appears in 100% of them.
Are Machine Learning Engineer jobs remote?
27% of the 1,121 Machine Learning Engineer postings in the last 180 days were remote.
How much experience do Machine Learning Engineer jobs ask for?
Postings that state it ask for a median of 4 years. The most common level is Senior (31% of postings).
What does a Machine Learning Engineer earn?
Postings that state pay advertise a typical $173,000 to $254,000 a year, with a median of $211,000, from 675 postings in US dollars.
Which skills are growing for Machine Learning Engineer roles?
AI Agents, NLP, scikit-learn, Code Review and Kubernetes are taking a larger share of Machine Learning Engineer postings, month on month and comparing like with like.